I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
The Sun :: Wild Unknown Tarot
Deck Creator’s Keywords: new vitality, assurance, enlightenment
Carrie’s Keywords: joy, enlightenment, radiance
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The Sun Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
The Sun of the Wild Unknown is practically bursting with light! Glorious rays dominate the card, emanating nearly to the brim with orange and yellow beams. We are naturally drawn to the powerful, bold and welcoming energy inherent here. The Sun asks you not to hold back, but to unleash your full brilliance.
The splendor of the sun is a life-affirming sight, especially after the darkness of the Moon. The sun always rises, even after the darkest of nights. What once seemed bewildering is made clear and understandable when viewed in this direct light. The Sun shows your ability to reach an aha moment, to gain utter and total clarity. Thus, this card is associated with the concept of enLIGHTenment.
This card reminds you that each day is a new offering, brimming with possibility and potential. The sun infuses vigor and greatness to everything that basks in its rays. We see a glimpse here of the truth that there is an eternal life force that resides in mortal beings. There’s a radiant energy to the Universe that will never be extinguished.
In the four corners of the card, the rays begin to blend into green and blue coloring, showing the hints of the ordinary world drenched in light. There are birds in each corner, flying towards the edges. The birds are champions of the sun, expanding and heralding its positive energy. This also shows how expansive the Sun’s energy is – it is not hemmed in but bursts forth freely.
There is an unstoppable sense of LIFE in this card. The sun itself is a necessary life force, it seeps energy into the food we eat and into our very cells. This is a card of vigor, celebration, understanding and living out loud. The unapologetic prominence of the sun is worth noting once again. There is no shirking here. This is a card of letting yourself take up space.
Above all else, the Sun asks you to soak in the joy of being alive. Joy is a more potent word than happiness, because true joy can contain happiness AND sorrow. True joy is about being fully present for all aspects of life, about letting yourself fully feel the radiant life force that infuses you, and knowing this is the same energy that infuses the entire universe.
The Sun Tarot Card Meanings in General
For the Spacious Tarot we chose a simple sunflower. Sunflowers track the light across the sky and have much to teach about embracing radiance.
Traditional depictions of this card show a human-like figure (possibly a child or a cherub), naked and with arms outstretched, riding a white horse. The figure is naked because they have nothing to hide. They are fully comfortable embodying all aspects of their existence. The Sun speaks of being bold and open.
The literal sun is often associated with a joyful reverence of life. This card is about being fully and gloriously alive. It is a continuation of the energy that started with the Magician: stepping into your true power, owning your radiance, embracing all that life has to offer.
But on the other end of the spectrum, the Sun is a powerful force that can burn us if we look straight at it, and there is some discomfort associated with this tarot card at times as well. The directness of the Sun can be welcome and warming, but it can sometimes be blinding and dazzling.
In a reading
When you see the Sun, it might be useful to ask yourself if you are saying YES to life. Are you fully plugged in to the radiant energies at work within you, or are you unconsciously dulling those energies? The Sun asks you to take whatever bold action would make you feel the most expansive at this time.
If you’ve been experiencing some struggles, this card can be a sign that life is still on your side. New viewpoints of greater clarity and understanding are available to you, choose to let yourself bask in that warmth.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
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I was seriously moved by the following quote and I wanted to know if this was from you or if you drew this from somewhere else. I want to keep the quote and I want to make sure I am using the correct source.
“Joy is a more potent word than happiness, because true joy can contain happiness AND sorrow. True joy is about being fully present for all aspects of life, about letting yourself fully feel the radiant life force that infuses you, and knowing this is the same energy that infuses the entire universe.”
Hi Halie! That exact quote is indeed from me. However, I know many other people have talked about the difference between happiness and joy. The way I phrased it here is my personal experience and understanding of it. I’m honored to know it resonates with you!